60% of ‘Mishaps’ Involving U.S. Armored Vehicles Overseas Were Preventable

Just got this news article from Frank Gallagher, it is something that Frank, Joe Autera and I have been talking about for a long time.

State Dept.: 60% of ‘Mishaps’ Involving U.S. Armored Vehicles Overseas Were Preventable

My Thoughts

This is not only a problem for the State Department overseas, it is a problem for the security community in the US.

More companies are using Armored Vehicles in the US. The 2015 ISDA Secure Transportation Survey, indicated that 22.9% of the respondents are using armored vehicles, also the number of students attending the VDI Armored Vehicle course has increased dramatically. As the report mentions the problem is the drivers. We (ISDA and VDI) have authored many white papers on this and similar subjects for our members and clients.

Here is the bottom line – attending an Executive Protection training program and having a driver’s license does not make an individual a security driver. You wouldn’t allow the security professional to carry a gun without first objectively measuring their ability to use it: so why would you let a person drive the principal if you don’t objectively measure their ability to drive?

I’ll talk more about this in future posts. Love to hear what you all have to say about this.

This post is authored by an International Security Driver Association Member

The International Security Driver Association (ISDA) serves the Protective Services community. ISDA’s mission is to support an international forum of protective service providers who share knowledge for the purpose of enhancing the profession.

The most common question we at ISDA get asked is, “Is ISDA for Security Drivers and Secure Transportation Providers only?” The answer is a big NO. ISDA is a valuable resource for all practitioners working in the protection profession. Members of ISDA represent all facets and levels of the protective services profession as an example.